


Theodore: The Catsitting Tale

by PorcelainWings



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Aria is Totally Not Traumatised, Gen, Happiness is found in the kitty, Tags are much easier to add on desktop huh?, The focus is on the detective not necessarily romance, tina knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:27:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29515299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcelainWings/pseuds/PorcelainWings
Summary: The cure for the exhaustion of handling the supernatural is clearly the love of a cat.~~~*~~~Aria’s sudden excited spin leaves the team befuddled. Tina and Verda just share an amused look at her liveliness before he excuses himself with a soft ‘good luck’. Aria barely notices his exit, continuing to twirl around her office in glee.Tina shakes her head with a smile of her own, turning to give the men an explanation."Whenever Mrs M. goes away, Aria housesits for her.”Felix addresses Aria directly, clearly as confused as the rest of them as to how that explained her utter elation.“It’s that nice of a house, huh?” he asks.
Relationships: Female Detective/Adam du Mortain
Kudos: 7





	1. Theodore

**Author's Note:**

> There is also a wonderful two piece commission to go along with this chapter; I have linked it at the end of the work, please feel free to skip all my writing and just go look at that! It's amazing and I love it! 💕

Aria’s weary sigh when Verda comes in to ask for some files demands their attention.

Exhaustion blankets her very being like a grim fog; they’ve all noticed the dark grey circles under her eyes - their usual deep brown far duller than it was just a few short months ago - and the near concerning pallor to her skin - despite the heat that, Tina has informed them, usually makes her tan rather deeply. Even her usual sharp wit has been lacking; the sarcasm which comes so easily to her being bitten out in more snide asides than light hearted quips.  
She’s been so drained lately, and it’s only becoming more and more obvious - with or without supernatural senses.

Mason had even lit a cigarette in her office with no comment… with no reaction from her at all; he smokes it in the corner, staying close to the window and observing her like they all are.

She’s only just handed off the files to Verda when he points out the new arrival at the front desk. Aria’s brow furrows at the sight of the diminutive old lady, a worried ’ _Mrs McCarthy?_ ’ slipping out under her breath, before she quickly excuses herself.  
Tina gives each of the vampires **_a look_** as the door closes, pointedly making sure _they’re_ aware that _she’s_ aware they have the capability to eavesdrop. They make a valiant show of not listening until Verda’s sudden laugh draws their focus.

“I think I have a pretty good idea what she wanted,” he chuckles.

The five of them look at him, following his line of sight out the office window to Aria who’s begun to rock back and forth on her feet as she cheerily waves off Mrs McCarthy with a smile. Tina laughs much like Verda had at the sight, leaving the team relieved, if not remarkably confused, that there doesn’t seem to be any problem to be solved.  
Aria’s smile seems to only grow as she returns to the office, blooming into a winsome beam that brightens her face in a way they’ve never seen.

“She’s going on holiday!” She shrieks as soon as the door closes behind her, practically vibrating as she bounces on the spot.   
"For a whole week!“ 

Aria’s sudden excited spin leaves the team befuddled. Tina and Verda just share an amused look at her liveliness before he excuses himself with a soft ‘good luck’. Aria barely notices his exit, continuing to twirl around her office in glee.  
Tina shakes her head with a smile of her own, turning to give the men an explanation.

"Whenever Mrs M. goes away, Aria housesits for her.”

Felix addresses Aria directly, clearly as confused as the rest of them as to how that explained her utter elation.

“It’s _that_ nice of a house, huh?” he asks.

Aria startles at the question, stopping dead in her tracks as she looks at them with wide-eyes - as if she only just remembered their existence. She awkwardly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear; Adam forces himself to ignore the pang in his chest at her sheepishness, to brush aside the ache that the sight of her pushing down her excitement because of them and their presence elicits.

“Oh, well, yeah,” she confirms. “It’s an _amazing_ house; fabulous kitchen, comfy bed-” her voice trails off, leaving the list she started unfinished to stifle a squeal of excitement as she begins to bounce again, the energy so desperate to escape “- and Theodore~!”

Aria sings the name with a reverent joy the team has never heard. Adam tenses at the level of adoration she’s displaying for this unknown man; Tina, however, only laughs, apparently well used to this sort of thing - much to Unit Bravo’s confusion.

“Honestly, I don’t understand why you don’t just adopt yourself.”

The word adopt greatly increases the confusion in the room, but Aria rolls her eyes at the suggestion, the light that’s returned to them not dimming a bit.

“Tina, I barely have enough time for _Sam_ as it is. Never mind adding another into the mix. I simply have to be content with the time I can steal away with Theodore~.” The name is once more sung, ending with a gleeful giggle and a wistful sigh. “Oh, if only I could spend eternity with him in my arms.”

The team shares a baffled look as Aria happily hums and spins around, completely bemused by this strange woman who has taken their detective’s place.

“You know,” Tina pipes up, affection coating her amusement. “Sometimes I really don’t know which you’re worse with… horses or _cats_.”

The immediate realisation of just exactly who, _or what_ , Theodore is hits Nate first, with the others following not far behind.

Aria dramatically holds up her left hand before responding.  
“Regal, majestic darlings-” she brings her right hand up in a mirror of her left, miming the weighing of the two adorable options “-or precious, fluffy babies.”  
An abrupt squeal of delight fills the air.  
“Oh, I love them _both_. Especially my Theodore~ with his small, _cute_ , pink nose, white toes and-”  
She cuts herself off with yet another squeal, though this time Nate affectionately chuckles along with Tina.

“He sounds adorable, Aria." 

She makes a happy hum of agreement before gasping, a most important thought clearly occurring to her.

"I have pictures!”

They all watch as she rushes to the desk, throwing herself over it to root through the drawer where she keeps her phone. Tina barely attempts to stifle a giggle, but the team are left astonished.

“Okay, seriously, who the fuck is she?”

Felix snickers at Mason’s bewildered exclamation; Nate and Adam throw them both a disapproving look. Tina just scoffs at them, jokingly rolling her eyes while placing her hands on her hips to tease -

“Geez, have you guys just _never_ seen her **happy** before?”

The temperature immediately drops, the room suddenly cold; all traces of playfulness flee from Tina as the solemn realisation that 'No. They never _have_ seen her this happy before…’ sinks in for them all.  
The sudden thought that they’re no longer sure they’ve ever actually seen her happy at all is a heavy weight none of them can fully ignore.  
Before Tina can actually say anything, Aria lets out a trill of triumph across the room - finally having located her phone. No one mentions that she could have found it much easier if she had actually walked around to the other side of the desk.  
Aria scrolls through her phone, humming happily as she makes a beeline to Mason. He leans back slightly, arms crossed and brow furrowed, as she eagerly shoves the phone up in front of him to show off one of her photos.

“Adorable, right?!" 

The overwhelming enthusiasm in her voice gives him pause, biting back any possible snarky response he could have given. The team watch from the sidelines as he actually takes in the photo of her cradling a fluffy grey and white cat with a bright smile.

"Yeah” He confirms gruffly, watching the same brightness in the photo glow in her delighted expression at his agreement. “Adorable.”

His brow furrows further at her pleased hum, his teeth clenching around his cigarette as watches her with a sullen contemplation when she instantly turns to show Felix the photo too. Felix happily mirrors her energy with a smile of his own, paying no heed to the sympathetic look Tina throws at them all, the underlying pity in her gaze something none of them want to acknowledge.  
The hand Nate places on Adam’s shoulder as they watch Aria excitedly show off her 'Theodore Gallery’ to the others is warm and yet not comforting in the slightest. Adam clenches his fist, forcibly swallowing the envy and desire her smile ignites within him. Seeing her so energized, so carefree, so _happy_ … It only further strengthens the thoughts he knows to be true.  
That happiness she’s never shown them before doesn’t belong to ~~him~~ them.

_**She** doesn’t belong to them._

_~~~*~~~*~~~_

The wonderful Eightmonkeys did two amazing commission pieces for this for me; [Link Here!!!](https://gloynporslen.tumblr.com/post/643370493553131520/amazing-commissions-by-the-amazing-eightmonkeys)  
Please look if you're interested and give them so much love, [their page is here;](https://eightmonkeys.tumblr.com/) they're wonderful and do wonderful artwork!


	2. Catsitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day four of Aria's week with her beloved Theodore, and this time it's Adam's turn to keep an eye on her.

Ariana has been in a terrible mood all day.   
While she had greeted him at the door with a smile he refused to admit made his pulse race, she has done nothing but alternate between annoyed pouts and near hostile glares since. Adam mindlessly strokes the cat upon his lap pondering the thought of calling Nate to, for a lack of better phrasing, bail him out; she clearly doesn't want him here with her, and it makes an uncomfortable tightness grow around his chest to think he's continuing to force his presence on her in what he knows is such a revered place for her. He has, at least, been attempting to give her the privacy she obviously desires, though the bitter mumblings reaching his ear as she makes a cup of tea capture his attention far more than he wishes they did.   
He'd barely even have to try to overhear... her...

"-loyalty clearly means nothing. Just lounging on his lap like butter wouldn't melt-" she scoffs, disgust heavy on the exclamation "-and of course he's just _letting_ him sit on his lap. Goddamn Theo-stealing vampire."

Any potential amusement he has at the stolen but rapidly dawning realisation is cut short by her sudden growl of frustration; the accompanying slam of the spoon on the counter makes him flinch. Unphased, bright green eyes look up to his own at the motion; the small fluffball in his lap seeming perfectly content now he's received eye contact. The soft purrs (that he now suspects, with no small measure of relief, to be the true cause behind her ire) flare up once more at the continued scritches behind his ears. 

Aria reenters the room, a hot cup in her hand and a fresh glare in her eyes solely directed at him.   
This time he doesn't guiltily look away; he just chuckles.

"I'm sure it's merely the novelty of a new person, Aria."

His suggestion is genuine, meant to be a comfort even though the words are tinged with amusement. She scoffs, brushing aside his obvious eavesdropping as she comes over to sit next to them both; he considers her willingness to be close a small victory even though she continues to sulk.   
The use of her nickname goes unnoticed by them both.

"He _hated_ Mason."

"Mason's intimidating." 

His rationalisation sounds weak even to himself. Something she's quick to call out.

"Oh, and you're _not_?"

"That is... a fair point. But surely-"

"He wasn't keen on Felix or Nate either," she pouts.

"... Ah," he awkwardly continues to pet the fluffball.

"So why does he love _you_ so much?!" The sudden lamentation catches him off-guard, his visible shock prompting her to backtrack slightly. "Not that I'm saying you're not- I just...-" she sighs sadly "-He's just supposed to love _me_ **more**."

The sadness in her voice feels like a physical blow.

"I'm sure he doesn't love you any less," he tries.

She gives a non committal hum, his eyes never leaving her as she places the cup on the coffee table to free her hands. He moves his own away, giving Theodore space to lean fully into her petting with a cheerful meow, either not understanding or simply not caring about the torment he's causing the pouting woman. Though he never leaves Adam's lap, Aria's pout slowly fades when he nuzzles further into her hand, the sweetest smile taking its place on her lips, the betrayal of choosing Adam for a resting place seemingly forgotten in the face of receiving a soft mewl.

Seeing her so at peace should be a good thing, especially after her previous upset... So why does it still bother him so?   
A sudden image of her spinning around her office with joy flashes in his mind, the sight having been burned into his memory.   
His own realisation of her happiness not being ~~his~~ theirs returning to remind him of its presence like the most unwanted of visitors.

_ Oh. Right. _

"Adam?"

He startles as her voice breaks through his brooding, earning him an offended meow from the jostled cat.

"Yes?" he asks distantly, mindlessly returning to appeasing the fluffball with pets.

"Are you... okay? You were miles away for a moment there."

The small quirk of her lips is clearly an attempt to downplay the concern in her question.   
It's the pale attempt to conceal her feelings that has him blurting out a question of his own.

"Are you happy?"

She either doesn't or can't hide her confusion; so he explains.

"You... You are far happier with Theodore than you are with us." He continues before she can interject. "Is it that you simply don't want to show that level of happiness around us-" a painful enough thought on its own and he doesn't want to continue to ask... but he does "- or do you just not feel it? Are you not happy with us, Detective?"

The title is a pitiful attempt to regain some distance, he knows, though the question startles her far more than Adam believes it should. It's a fair question, in his mind, one he knows the others have been wondering themselves.

"It's not like I've _never_ been happy around you." While the words are reassuring to hear, the apprehension in her voice has him on edge and he's suddenly grateful for the small creature on his lap; the feel of his fur beneath his fingers keeping him grounded. "It's just -" she stumbles over her own explanation "- a different _kind_ of happiness? We rarely get to spend any time together without some kind of urgent threat looming over us, so it's not the same as getting to relax and 'hang out'. But that doesn't mean I don't _enjoy_ spending time with you all! Hell, I count Mason and Felix among my closest friends at this point."

It doesn't escape his notice that she neglects to mention himself and Nate.   
It also doesn't escape his notice that that bothers him far more than it should.

"You're not unhappy but you associate us with stress."

She winces at the bluntness of his not-entirely-incorrect observation, idly poking at the toebeans Theodore has exposed to her with the tip of her finger.

"It's... not as simple as that."   
She pauses, taking a moment to try and collect her thoughts.   
"Things are... stressful, yes. And _dangerous_. And actually rather traumatizing at times, if I'm being honest."   
If she sees the grimace that darkens his features, she doesn't show it. 

"But that doesn't mean I'm not-" 

"You feel unsafe around us." 

A statement, not a question, and one that has her shaking her head.

His attention instantly snaps to the hand she places atop his before he manages to draw his eyes back to hers. The genuine openness is unfamiliar on her, so used he has grown to the deflections; the deep brown of her eyes sparkling with affection, an unreserved fondness that he does not deserve, yet that he has greatly missed the past few months. 

"Adam, there's nowhere I feel safer than by your side." 

He’s unsure what causes the sudden loss of breath; her words or the fact that he’s all too suddenly hyper aware of her warmth pressed against his side, of the touch of her hand upon his, of her very presence next to him igniting the deepest of longings in a heart long since thought frozen over. Time seems to slow to a standstill, his eyes which had fallen back to her hand travelling once more up her arm to meet her own in a moment which sparks everything back to life.   
Before he even realises it he’s leaned closer, their foreheads near touching as they share the same same air, their eyes locked on each other’s as if in a trance.   
Her familiar heartbeat rings like the sweetest of melodies in his ear and those eyes, _god help him, her **eyes**_ , an endless depth which blankets him in the most comforting of embraces.   
Unbidden his gaze drops to her lips, slightly parted under such close attention; they’re close enough now that it would be oh so easy to just-

All of a sudden she seems to realise what’s happening. 

He blinks with surprise, watching a flush take over her cheeks as she hurriedly pulls away with a strained laugh; she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear - her eyes now darting everywhere apart from him.

"With the team, of course! I mean, really, what girl _wouldn't_ feel protected with a quartet of powerful vampires watching her back, right?" 

He can't help but chuckle, her flippantly joking dismissal far more what he'd come to ~~ad~~ expect from her. It's with a silent agreement they both return to lavishing the fluffball with the attention he desires, sweeping what just occurred into a box labelled ‘do not touch’. 

He tries not to think too hard about the domesticity of the moment that remains.   
Just this once he can pretend this is okay.   
Just this once he can be allowed the delusion that things can be like this - the two of them, together and at peace in each other's company to a soundtrack of purrs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much if you’ve made it this far!   
> I hope it wasn’t too much of a chore!   
> Thank you, truly, for your time 💕

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much if you’ve made it this far! I hope it wasn’t too much of a chore! Thank you, truly, for your time 💕


End file.
